Eyeing up the right price

Insurance firms are being urged by employers to open their eyes to cheaper premiums when it comes to company driving policies

New research from Specsavers Corporate Eyecare reveals that 71% of employers believe company insurance premiums should go down if they can prove their employees have recently passed a full eye examination and sight test.

Furthermore, 74% of employers said that if their staff were offered a free full eye examination and sight test as part of a company driving insurance policy, this would be a deciding factor in choosing that particular insurance company, as long as the price was still competitive.

This follows another recent study which showed that one in three drivers would fail an eyesight test. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that an employer’s duty of care extends to all work activities, including driving for work purposes.

Specsavers believes it is important, therefore, for employers to consider incorporating eyecare into their health and safety policy for employees who drive for work purposes.

Jim Lythgow, director of strategic alliances for Specsavers Corporate Eyecare said: “We believe that drivers who have good eyesight are safer than those who don’t.

“If insurance companies can encourage employers to test the eyesight of their staff that drive then this must be a good thing.”

Jon Sellors, group head of thought leadership for insurers RSA, said: “We want safe drivers on the roads, and we believe that good eyesight is imperative for good driving.

“Fleet operators adopting a systematic approach to driver eye tests will be able to obtain lower insurance premiums, especially when they do this as part of a pro-active approach to fleet risk management.”

There is probably some kind of eyesight-related pun we could have used here, but nothing immediately sprung to mind. If only Specsavers had a memorable slogan…

About the Author

EB's former editor, Pescod was tasked with ensuring these hallowed pages are rich with excellent, engaging and error-free stories, all written with the entrepreneur in mind. Pescod previously plied his trade penning pieces about pubs and pints. He is also a sucker for alliteration.